Alumni of the Citizens Police Academy (CPA) recently honored retired Brookhaven Police Chief John Eller for his tireless work and dedication to the popular program, which gave area residents an inside look at police work.

Eller, who founded the CPA in 1997, was honored during a meeting attended by about 30 alumni on Nov. 25 at the Brookhaven Fire House.

“Linda Riffert presented me with a photo album,” Eller said during a recent interview. “Lynn McMonagle presented me with the clock for founding the Citizens Police Academy.”

The photo album documented Eller’s work with students at the former Our Lady of Charity School. The clock was a token of appreciation from the many alumni who attended classes during the program’s 16-year run.

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“When I asked how many would attend a refresher course, almost a dozen raised their hands,” Eller said.

In 1999, two years after starting the Academy, Eller invited the Pennsylvania State Police to run a combined Brookhaven/State Police program. The joint program is the only one of its kind in Pennsylvania. At graduation, participants receive recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives, state House of Representatives, state Senate, state police and the local municipal government.

The Academy ran from 1997 through 2012, when Eller retired, and has hundreds of graduates — 429 to be specific.

Eller, who served as police chief in Brookhaven for three decades, said he has spoken with Police Chief John Egan from neighboring Parkside about the possibility of resurrecting the CPA, and hopes to make a presentation to borough council at their first meeting of 2014.

“It’s a lot of fun and I’m hoping we can get it going again,” the chief said.

After spending the past year recovering from knee, wrist and elbow surgeries, Eller is back on track. He has been doing some consulting work, but welcomes the idea of starting up a new Citizens Police Academy.

And despite residing in Chester County, the longtime lawman still remains a faithful reader of the Delaware County Daily Times.

“I’ve lived in Chester County for 12 years, but I don’t buy the Daily Local (News), I buy the DailyTimes,” he said. “It’s part of my daily routine.”

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A man visiting the County Government Center last week will be able to spend the holidays with family thanks to the quick actions of three members of the Delaware County Park Police.

Patrolmen Brian McNeill Jr., Brian Decker (not the Ridley Township Brian Decker) and Jason Williams were honored by County Council on Wednesday for saving the life of a man who went into cardiac arrest while conducting business at the Officer of the Register of Wills on Dec. 5.

When the man slumped over in a chair, Register of Wills Chief Deputy Kristine Dick immediately called Park Police, all of whom are trained in CPR and the use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

“All three of us were in various locations in the courthouse when we got a call for a disturbance,” said Decker. “One of our officers arrived and found him in cardiac arrest.”

The man was in full cardiac arrest and had no pulse. McNeill was first to arrive and began CPR.

“I put the AED on and it advised a shock was needed, so we shocked him,” Decker said. “We continued CPR for a minute or two then noted he had started breathing.”

Paramedics arrived and took over. The heart attack victim was transported to Riddle Memorial Hospital, where he was up and talking the following day.

“On behalf of all three of us, it was a good feeling to help somebody,” Decker said. “All three of us have an emergency service history with the fire department and all three of us are firefighters. That’s why we do it, to help people.”

Williams is an assistant fire chief with Newtown Square Fire Co., where McNeill also is a volunteer firefighter. Decker is an assistant chief and EMT for Middletown Fire Co.

Decker stressed that the response to the emergency was a team effort.

“If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t have been successful,” he said.

Dick, county nurse Colleen O’Sullivan and Park Police officers Detective/Capt. Scott Mahoney, Sgt. Robert Berkey and Patrolmen Stephen Spadaro and Chris Atwell were also honored for assisting during the emergency.

“Our Park Police officers saved this man’s life,” said County Council Chairman Tom McGarrigle. “These three men, along with everyone else who assisted at the scene are to be commended for their quick actions that turned this medical crisis into a happy ending.”

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East Lansdowne Mayor James France administered the oath of office to three new part-time patrol officers during a recent council meeting.

Michael Ammon, 38, of Chadds Ford, Vincent Pinto, 19, of Ridley Park, and Jonathan Downs, 28, of Ridley Township, were in uniform for the brief ceremony in the borough hall.

The three rookies, who graduated this year from the Delaware County Municipal Police Academy, were hired for a six-month probationary period. They will earn $17.10 per hour.

Cop Shop appears Thursday. To contact Rose Quinn or Cindy Scharr, email rquinn@delcotimes.com or cscharr@delcotimes.com, or follow us on Twitter @rquinndelco or @cindyscharr.